Valve assembly hand tool



y 1951 H. E. LEU 2,554,623

VALVE ASSEMBLY HAND TOOL Filed Jan. 28, 1947 Fz' Z.

5 pul I" I [H l 4 "Mn 5 H 6 7 WI Z Io U 8 HARRY E. AEZ/ Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES TENT GEFICE VALVE ASSEMBLY HAND TOOL Harry E. Leu, Bellflower, Calif.

Application January 28, 1947, Serial No. 724,772

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to special tools for facilitating assembly and disassembly of valve and valve spring units, such as are used in the Ford engine, e. g., whereby the spring may be easily held in compressed condition while on the valve stem, for insertion or removal of the spring lock washer.

The object of this invention is to provide means for holding the spring in the above referred to assembly in compressed condition by the use of only one hand, whereupon the spring lock washer may be installed or removed with the other hand, for assembly or disassembly of the units respectively.

A further object is to construct a tool of two handles hinged together at one end, one of said handles including a cylindrical portion extending normally to the other handle when the handles are brought together, for receiving said valve assembly and having shoulders in the bottom thereof to pass the spring lock washer but catch the spring at opposite edges, whereby the head of the valve may be depressed by said other handle to move the lock washer clear of the end of the spring.

A further object is to construct a special tool for facilitating the assembly or disassembly of valve units of the type referred to, comprising hollow means for receiving the stem end of said units with shoulder means in the end thereof for catching opposite sides of the valve spring of said units, and having a handle and an arm on opposite sides thereof, a second handle hinged to the end of said arm and having a bulge for application to the top of the valve in said units,

whereby when the handles are pressed together with one hand, the valve and guide will move through the assembly, releasing the spring lock washer from the end of the spring for easy removal or insertion thereof.

Other and more specific objects will appear in the following detailed description of the invention, having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational View partly in section of one form of special tool and valve assembly used in connection therewith,

Figure 2 is a front view thereof, without the valve assembly,

Figure 3 is a top View thereof,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken ,on line l-l of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the tool, and

Figure 6 is an elevational view thereof.

In the form of tools herein disclosed for the purpose of illustrating the invention, two handles 1 and 2 are hinged at their ends by pin 3. The handle I has a bulge 4 in it, for cooperation with the valve head 5 of the valve assembly comprising the valve having head 5 and stem 6, the split Valve guide l thereon, the valve spring 8 and spring lock washer or keeper 9.

Handle 2 has a cylindrical portion Ill formed thereon with a pair of opposed shoulders H on the inside at the outer end for catching the sides of the valve spring when the assembly is inserted as shown in Figure 1. These shoulders are small enough to allow the keeper 9 to pass between them.

This cylindrical portion Ill extends normally to the handle I so that with the valve assembly inserted, the bulge t on handle i will contact the top of the valve head 5, and as the handles are squeezed together by gripping with one hand, the spring 8 is compressed against the shoulders l and the end of the valve stem 6 is pushed past the shoulders H so as to permit removal or replacement of the keeper 9.

The cylindrical portion may be cut out at the outer end on both sides between the shoulders H as shown at I2 to facilitate the removal or insertion of the keeper 9 which is of horse shoe shape in cross-section so it may be slid over the narrow portion of the valve stem and set over the enlarged end l3 to lock the valve spring in place.

In disassembling the valve unit, it is inserted in the tool as shown, the handles are gripped with one hand and squeezed, the keeper is removed with the other hand by lifting it oil the enlarged end of the valve stem and slid 0d the narrow portion of the stem. The handles are then released, handle I is turned upon the hinge out of the way, and then the valve, split guide and valve stem may all be lifted out of the cylindrical portion of the handle 2 and separated.

In assembling the valve unit, the operations are reversed. The split guide is placed in position around the valve stem, the valve spring is placed with one end over the end of the guide, and the assembly is inserted into the cylindrical portion of handle 2 so that the other end of the spring rests on the shoulders II. Handle l is then turned down with its bulge 4 resting on the valve head. The handles are squeezed in one hand until the enlarged end of the valve projects sufiiciently through the outer end of the cylindrical portion to permit insertion of the keeper over the end of the valve stem. The keeper is inserted with the other hand, and the grip on the handles is released. Handle l is raised out of the way and the assembled unit is removed by lifting from the cylindrical portion of handle 2.

As is apparent, the disclosed form of the invention is especially advantageous in connection with valve units of the Ford type through the fact that these units are formed of a number of parts, including the sectional guide I, which must be fabricated into the unit assembly which is then bodily positioned or removed from its position in the motor assemblage. Hence, it is necessary that the parts be properly positioned relative to each other prior to the completion of the unit, the latter placing the valve under the desired tension. This result is obtainable through the presence of the open-ended tubular portion Hi, the axial length of which approaches the length of spring 8. Since the divided guide has the tapered periphery, it is possible to readily position the valve and its stem within the guide ,sections before insertion through the positioned spring, the latter resting on the abutments II, the periphery of the guide limiting the downward travel of the guide through contact with the upper convolution of the spring. As a result, the parts are practically axially alined with the axis of portion 10 and held in such relation within member 2, since abutments I l form a definite stop against further unit bodily movement through the portion 50.

Hence, when member I is moved into position and contacts the upper face of the valve, the parts are in such position that the lower end of the valve stem can be projected downwardly relative to the lower zone of portion [0 by pressure application on the valve by the squeezing action of one hand described above, leaving the other hand free to apply the split locking washer or keeper 9 to such exposed stem end zone. Upon release of the pressure, the spring moves the keeper into engagemnt with the lower flared end of the guide, thus completing the unit, which is then bodily lifted out of portion l0. Throughout the operation, the elements of the unit retain their supported positions with no possibility of loss or displacement, due to the fact that the portion I0 provides a major housing characteristic for the parts. Obviously, the same conditions are present during disassembling of the unit, since removal of the keeper leaves the unit parts in their supported locations.

In other words, whether the unit is bodily positioned within the tool for disassembly, or the parts are positioned therein as individuals for purpose of assembly, the parts are held in proper position for action by the tool to provide the desired action with no liability of loss or displacement while the parts are unsecured by reason of the absence of the keeper 9, the tubular portion 10 serving as a housing to assure retention of parts to proper position for action.

Obvious modifications in the shape, arrangement and dimensions of the several parts to suit the specific form of assembly with which the tool is to be used, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An engine valve spring compressing tool comprising a pair of levers pivoted at one end and having elongated handle portions at their opposite ends, one of said levers having a lateral curved olTset portion adjacent said pivoted end, a hollow tubular housing integrally mounted on said one lever between said offset portion and said handle, the other of said levers being substantially straight and having a pressure applying portion intermediate the ends thereof, a pair of inturned shoulders on the hollow housing on the side opposite said straight lever, said hollow housing having cut-out portions adjacent said shoulders providing access to a valve assembly in serted in the housing.

HARRY E. LEU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,346,416 Newton July 13, 1920 1,417,370 Faris May 23, 1922 1,437,242 Harper Nov. 28, 1922 1,447,560 Mares Mar. 6, 1923 2,159,655 De Mooy May 23, 1939 2,201,091 Hehir May 14, 1940 

